As a landscaper and consultant, people often come to me with numerous questions about their landscape problems and what they can do to solve them.
Since I tend to be a social guy, I usually take some time to try and answer your questions on the spot, but most of the time it’s better if I visit your home and see for myself what the underlying issues really are. are.
I often hear about the hard work they put into gardening, and the problems that seem to add up each year, and how discouraged they feel when their lawn develops darkening areas, or how their rhododendrons suffer so much that they die during the winter. , or When should they cut back their deciduous shrubs because they are growing at a fast rate and becoming unsightly?
These are questions that have numerous causes as to why they develop in the first place, and are often difficult to answer in a few minutes of time in a grocery store parking lot.
I usually suggest an on-site consultation so that I can see for myself the circumstances they are facing and can come to some conclusion as to what the problem is, why it happened in the first place, and how they can remedy the situation themselves. .
This is where my story begins.
Countless times, I find that people are intrigued by free information and think that gardening and planting should be easy to achieve. But it’s not that simple. It involves a lot of hard work and a lot of research in planning and executing the final results.
I try to convince people that a quick consultation will save them time, effort and money in the long run, however when it comes to talking about money, suddenly the garden isn’t such a great project after all.
I shake my head in amazement at how they can be so concerned about their gardens and property, but when there’s a price tag attached to information, they become apprehensive and avoid making any sort of commitment to solving their problems.
So, they go on their way and who knows what will happen.
At that time, I have given them about half an hour of free time and I am leaving without any compensation for my experience and knowledge as a horticulturist.
What do people think when they walk up to an expert and start barraging them with questions, then fly off like a bird without offering any compensation for the time I’ve spent with them? Don’t people understand that as an expert in my field, this is my life’s work and what I depend on for my income?
Friends, landscaping is a science, an art form, and a tangible end product that results from experience and sensitivity to the special environment of your particular home.
Every owner has different issues that can pose future problems if not properly addressed. Each form of land and property changes from one yard to the next. It’s not a wise decision to make, that either plant will do, or I can grow what I want and expect it to grow. not so…
You need to make proper decisions about what will grow in your garden. Are there soil formations that could cause drainage problems and cause my birch to die unless I rectify the problem?
These are questions that can be answered and should be answered by an expert, one who knows for sure if your garden will accommodate the plantings and layout.
I talk to people all the time about consulting a professional, either myself or someone else in the field, who can fix problems before they happen.
When considering spending a large amount of money, anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to a much larger amount of money on your yard, does a couple hundred dollars for a design and consultation seem so outrageous to make sure the job is done? planned and planted correctly to begin with?
Think of it like an insurance policy that, unlike most policies, ends at the end of the year and you’ve spent hundreds of dollars just to make sure your home or life will be protected.
This is an insurance policy that comes with expert advice and an ongoing relationship with an expert who can and will sacrifice time to answer your questions, simply because you made a wise decision to hire one in the first place.
With that being said, you now have a landscape you can be proud of and will grow proportionately over the years. In 3-5 years you won’t be pulling your hair out because your caretaker planted a 40 foot tree of life in front of your picture window.
I urge you, as a professional and someone who cares about your home’s landscape, to consider consulting a professional consultant before hiring or deciding on someone to plant your garden for you.
